Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's efforts to mollify government doctors after the humiliation of Dr Raj Bahadur, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Baba Farid Medical University, Faridkot by the Health Minister have failed to convince them and 50 doctors have either resigned or sought premature retirement.
The CM spoke twice to Dr Raj Bahadur, 72, requesting him to withdraw his resignation but the latter refused to continue as VC. There was widespread condemnation of the minister's action with the opposition demanding a public apology from him.
Working under strenuous service conditions, the doctors are upset with frequent raids on government hospitals and dispensaries by over-zealous MLAs of the ruling AAP who publicly humiliate them. There is a shortage of at least 1000 doctors in government hospitals, as per the 1991 cadre review, besides thousands of vacancies in the supporting staff like nurses and technicians.
While talking to Indianarrative.com on phone, Dr. Akhil Sarin president of Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) said, "the behaviour of the health minister and MLAs of the ruling party is not good with the doctors. The expectations from the doctors are high though there is lack of infrastructure and paucity of funds. To bridge this mismatch the government needs to increase budgetary allocation to the health department."
In a recent incident, health minister Chetan Singh Jauremajra raided the civil hospital, Kharar, and humiliated the doctor in-charge Maninder Kaur who happens to be the sister-in-law of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. The minister got upset with the lady doctor as a ceiling fan of the patients' ward was not functioning though the AC was working.
The minister immediately ordered the transfer of the doctor to a remote dispensary in Dhanaula of Sangrur district following which Dr. Maninder Kaur decided to resign.
Former Director of Health Dr. Areet Kaur is of the view that raiding hospitals, dispensaries, and humiliating doctors will not serve any purpose. The minister should sit with the secretary and the director besides other senior officers to chalk out a policy ensuring good services to the general public. In the absence of adequate funds, the operation theatres and medical machinery cannot be maintained.
On the other hand, social activist Amitoz Mann appreciated the health minister for exposing the poor health facilities in government hospitals which no other health minister in the previous Akali and Congress governments dared to do.
The AAP government has issued strict instructions to the health department that no government doctor be permitted to indulge in private practice as they are being paid a non-practicing allowance. If found guilty the doctor should be dismissed from service. This is also seen as a factor forcing government doctors to resign or seek premature retirement. A doctor, especially if he is a specialist, gets a much more lucrative job in the private sector.
